Something strange happened at the start of England’s goalless draw with USA at Wembley on Saturday. Alex Greenwood lined up as the left-sided centre-back, and Jess Carter as the left-back. Georgia Stanway took the kick-off back to Greenwood, who launched the ball long, and then Greenwood and Carter nodded to each other, and immediately switched positions, 10 seconds into the game.
What was the point in that? Was it simply to get the left-footed Greenwood in a position to play the initial pass downfield? Was it to trick the USA into thinking they were playing the other way around? Whatever the reason, Greenwood spent the rest of the game at left-back, and Carter in the middle.
In an otherwise very right-footed squad, Greenwood is England’s only established left-footed option at the back. Despite her experience and the fact she was arguably England’s most consistent performer throughout last summer’s run to the World Cup final, Sarina Wiegman has often omitted Greenwood from her starting XI. In the 4-3 defeat here to Germany in October, England used four right-footers — Carter, Leah Williamson, Millie Bright and Lucy Bronze — and their build-up play looked ponderous. Perhaps it also explained why they often found themselves dragged across to the right flank as Germany attacked down the opposite side.
Greenwood provided more balance. But if you’ve only got one left-footer, where do you want her — stretching play from left-back or providing a balance for passing out from defence in the centre? A decade ago you’d clearly say the former, but in modern football maybe the answer is the latter.
But England’s approach was slightly more complex than that. At goal-kicks, Carter pushed higher, almost into midfield, while Williamson and Greenwood played either side of Mary Earps, offering two natural — and very high quality — passing avenues out of the box.
Carter looked to be playing at left back, before immediately moving to left centre back (Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)
When England were in possession, Bronze pushed higher than usual, often providing England’s main attacking threat with her sudden dribbles inside — which doesn’t say much for the performance of England’s wingers. Behind her, England formed a back three. Williamson and Greenwood were comfortable bringing the ball forward, or taking a touch wider when closed down.
“We went quickly to the back three,” Wiegman explained afterwards. “That’s something that we wanted to try, to get a bit more security, but also trying to get Alex and Leah higher up.
“We want to go there (to a back three) at moments and now we chose to just do that straight away. Sometimes we want to do that dynamically. It’s about what’s best for us to do when we go further towards the Euros….we want to go forward, we want to play in the pockets, or when it’s really tight, to go around. The purpose of our possession game is of course, getting in behind the defense and creating chances to score goals. And we thought, in this game, it will help to start like that and hopefully to Alex in moments, and Leah in moments, higher up the pitch.”
The United States, however, caused problems at times with their pressing. “They generally build-up in a back four, and sometimes in a three with Keira Walsh in-between (the centre-backs),” said US coach Emma Hayes afterwards.
“I figured today they were going to go into a three, and drop one of the centre-halves — we actually prepared for what she did,” she continued, visibly pleased she’d guessed Wiegman’s approach in advance. “They’ve got Alex Greenwood, Leah Williamson — they’ll hurt you in possession.”
Carter and Greenwood after Saturday’s 0-0 draw at Wembley (Zac Goodwin/Getty Images)
Between those two, Carter swept up behind. On more than one occasion, she demonstrated good anticipation skills, and physical strength, by barging opposition attackers out of the way.
“I personally prefer centre-back over full-back,” said Carter afterwards. “I think it suited the way we were trying to build today, using Alex’s attributes on the ball in tighter spaces, I think we both did a pretty good job with that today.”
Carter was effectively preferred to her former Chelsea colleague Millie Bright, who remains England’s best aerial defender but lacks the speed across the ground of Carter. The other player who comes into the equation for the Euros is another Chelsea player, Niamh Charles, who enjoyed an excellent 2023-24 as an attack-minded left-back — albeit a right-footed one — and seemed to be establishing herself as England’s first-choice option in that position too. But she’s yet to play a minute so far this season because of a shoulder injury.
Further forward there are more question marks. England don’t have the midfield depth of Spain, or the goalscoring options up front of France. But in Bronze, Williamson, Carter, Bright, Greenwood and Charles, England will arguably have the best options in defence — particularly in a technical sense — of any side at Euro 2025.
Wiegman must decide which quartet she prefers, and in what shape they will play in. But it seems clear that England are better when Greenwood, the only left-footer, provides some much-needed balance.
(Top photo: Benjamin Cremel/Getty Images)
